USC vs. Washington Gameday Guide: Matchups, lineups, links, odds and more

USC vs. Washington

Husky Stadium | Seattle, WA12:30 p.m. Pacific | FOXAll-time series: USC leads 51-29-4Last meeting: USC 26, Washington 13 in 2016

The USC vs. Washington rivalry is set to be rekindled on Saturday afternoon after two years apart.

The Huskies have a 3-1 record after successfully rebounding from their Week 2 loss to Cal at home. They battered Hawaii then put the hurt on BYU in Provo, something USC was unable to do when they suffered their own loss to the Cougars in Week 3.

The Trojans got their own bounce back with a huge victory over Pac-12 south rival Utah last Friday. The win gave USC some pep in their step as they took control of the division title race, though losing starting quarterback Kedon Slovis to a concussion has muddled the waters somewhat going into Week 5.

Seven players in Washington’s starting 22 hail from California. Will they make it a point to get one over on USC?

Can Clay Helton and company repeat their memorable 2016 victory over the Huskies in Seattle?

Almost time to find out…

Gameday Links:

• For the matchups…Which units have the edge in USC-UW?
• For the storylines…Four storylines to watch for in Week 5
• For some fun… On the Fink: A satirical preview of USC-UW

Preview Podcast:

Co-hosts Michael Castillo and Alicia de Artola preview the Washington game with a look at the key battles, Over/Unders, predictions and more.

LISTEN: USC vs. UW Preview

USC football injury report

• OUT FOR THE SEASON:
  • LB Solomon Tuliaupupu (foot)
  • QB JT Daniels (knee)
• OUT:
  • CB Olaijah Griffin (back)
  • DB Talanoa Hufanga (concussion)
  • DL Jacob Lichtenstein (calf)
  • LB Jordan Iosefa (knee)
  • LB Elijah Winston (turf toe)
  • QB Kedon Slovis (concussion)
  • TE Ethan Rae (knee)
  • WR Kyle Ford (knee)
  • WR Bru McCoy (illness)
• QUESTIONABLE:
  • OL Andrew Vorhees (foot)

Washington football injury report

• OUT: 
  • DL Jon Clark (knee)
  • LB Josh Calvet (knee)
  • WR Ty Jones (wrist)
• QUESTIONABLE:
  • OL Cole Norgaard (ankle)
  • RB Salvon Ahmed (leg)
  • TE Jacob Kizer (back)
  • WR Trey Lowe (infection)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS FROM THE INJURY REPORT

When USC has the ball…

The Trojans used a high-flying, deep-ball attack to get the better of a strong Utah secondary with backup quarterback Matt Fink at the helm. Fink will once again be running the show on Saturday.

USC’s offensive line will have their hands full with a solid Washington defensive front led by defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Josiah Bronson, but Fink’s mobility could help defuse worries relating to the pass rush.

However, if the Huskies take a page out of BYU’s book and drop eight defenders in pass defense, that matchup in the trenches will prove critical as the Trojan run game looks to replicate their final two drives against Utah, rather than their woeful start to the game.

Really though, the game is likely to come down to USC’s receivers and their ability to pull off the same individual plays as they did back at the Coliseum in Week 4.

Washington Defense

• OLB #55 Ryan Bowman, Jr.
• DL #95 Levi Onwuzurike, Jr.
• DL #90 Josiah Bronson, Sr.
• OLB #9 Joe Tryon, So.
• LB #30 Kyler Manu, Sr.
• LB #13 Brandon Wellington, Sr.
• DB #16 Cameron Williams, Fr.
• DB #5 Myles Bryant, Sr.
• DB #27 Keith Taylor, Jr.
• DB #22 Trent McDuffie, Fr.
• DB #3 Elijah Molden, Jr.

USC Offense

• LT #73 Austin Jackson, Jr.
• LG #75 Alijah Vera-Tucker, RS-So.
• C #62 Brett Neilon, RS-So.
• RG #70 Jalen McKenzie, RS-So.
• RT #53 Drew Richmond, RS-Sr.
• TE #84 Erik Krommenhoek, Jr.
• X #6 Michael Pittman, Sr.
• A #1 Velus Jones, RS-Jr.
• Y #8 Amon-Ra St. Brown, So.
• Z #21 Tyler Vaughns, RS-Jr.
• RB #29 Vavae Malepeai, RS-Jr.
• QB #19 Matt Fink, RS-Jr.

When Washington has the ball…

Washington quarterback Jacob Eason put on a show against BYU through the air while backup tailback Sean McGrew stepped right into place for injured starter Salvon Ahmed.

That’s the worry for USC’s defense against the Huskies. They have a capable lineup with the ability to attack with balance.

Fortunately for the Trojans, there is a road map to defeat Washington, courtesy of Cal. The Bears upset the Huskies by keeping the ground game contained, but most of all by getting to the quarterback. They dropped Eason for four sacks in by far his worst outing of the year. He had a 98.69 passer rating while failing to throw a touchdown, tossing an interception and gaining just 162 yards through the air.

USC might be able to match the performance of Cal’s defensive line, with Jay Tufele, Marlon Tuipulotu, Christian Rector and Drake Jackson showing their worth. However it will be a much tougher test for the Trojan secondary, especially down two starters, including Olaijah Griffin and Talanoa Hufanga.

Washington Offense

• WR #5 Andre Baccellia, Sr.
• LT #72 Trey Adams, Sr.
• LG #76 Luke Wattenberg, Jr.
• C #56 Nick Harris, Sr.
• RG #51 Jaxson Kirland, So.
• RT #70 Jared Hilbers, Sr.
• TE #87 Cade Otton, So.
• QB #10 Jacob Eason, Jr.
• TB #26 Salvon Ahmed, Jr.
• WR #2 Aaron Fuller, Sr.
• WR #6 Chico McClatcher, Sr.

USC Defense

• DE #89 Christian Rector, RS-Sr.
• DT #78 Jay Tufele, RS-So.
• NT #51 Marlon Tuipulotu, RS-So.
• DE #99 Drake Jackson, Fr.
• SLB #31 Hunter Echols, RS-So.
• MLB #1 Palaie Gaoteote, So.
• WLB #10 John Houston, RS-Sr.
• CB #6 Isaac Taylor-Stuart, RS-Fr.
• FS #21 Isaiah Pola-Mao, RS-So.
• SS #7 Chase Williams, RS-Fr.
• NK #9 Greg Johnson, RS-So.
• CB #8 Chris Steele, Fr.

Odds (Washington -11):

The oddsmakers like Washington at home. The Trojans are 11-point underdogs, per the Vegas Insiders consensus line. The over/under for the game is 60 points.